Knowledge and practice of biosecurity in intensive poultry farms in Namutumba District.

Abstract

Commercial poultry production is low in Namutumba district and Uganda at large even after the plan to modernise agriculture, the low level of intensive poultry production has persisted long after even government intervene to encourage farmers adopt commercial methods of production. A study was conducted to assess farmers' knowledge and practice of biosecurity in commercial poultry farms Namutumba district. Data was collected using questionnaires and 65 poultry fanners under commercial production were sarripled. The collected data was coded and analyzed using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS Version 16) and was presented by description, then by statistical figures, pie charts and graph. The study revealed that in-conceptual biosecurity 69.2% of the respondents separated poultry house from the road of which 12.3% had-knowledge, 72.3% separated poultry 'house, from market places of which 44.6% had knowledge, only 33.8% separated poultry houses fi:001 nearest farm of which 30.8% had knowledge while 30.8% separated from bush/trees/water source and none of them had knowledge. Under structural biosecurity, 12.3% did 110 separate poultry houses from family dwellings, 84,6% separated poultry houses from offices, 61.5% did not separate their stores from poultry houses, and 92.3% separated their poultry house from parking yards. Also The study revealed that 86.2% of the respondents did not have a perimeter fence, 892% had no gate on their farms, 72.3% did not have footbath and few who had footbath had knowledge, 67.7% had the isolation unit for the sick birds and all of them had knowledge, 67.7% had separation units for separate age and only 3.1% had knowledge, 95.4% had disposal unit separated and 78.5% had knowledge. The study revealed that 13.9%. 66.2%, 66.2% of the respondents who separated the dwelling offices, stores parking yard respectively from the poultry unit to prevent diseases 4.6% and 3.1% had fence and gate respectively too prevent diseases. Under operational biosecurity, 52.3% kept other birds at home, 95.4% use family labour all hired labour had birds at their home. 75.4% had no controlled movement in farm, 63.1 % did not treat water, 87.7% disinfect equipment after every use 80% receive visitors and 63.1% did not disinfect them, 92.3% vaccinated their birds and 93.9%, control flock interaction. The findings of this study showed that the low level of commercial poultry production Namutumba might be due to the impacts of diseases resulting from poor biosecurity measures undertaken by the farmers. It is recommended that government and NGO should train poultry farmers biosecurity, disease prevention and the adoption of modern I husbandry practices suitable for the small holder poultry production.